Poison's Birth
by peppymint
Summary: Side Story to From the Ashes Origin fic for my O.C. Akira Dokuzo. Hope you enjoy


_I do not own Naruto_

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed_

"_From the Ashes"_

**Poison's Birth**

The newly promoted jounin's brow furrowed in concentration. Akira was sitting in his family home carefully applying a new layer of paralyzing agent to his favorite pair of daggers. It was a fairly peaceful spring day in the Hidden Village of Grass.

The sound of breaking glass shattered the calm. A figure fell bonelessly through the hole where the window had once been. The teen was on his feet, weapons drawn, before the sight fully registered. Light green eyes widened in horror as he identified the fallen man. "Shin!" Akira rushed to his cousin's side.

There was so much blood. Even as he moved to stop the bleeding Akira suspected it was already too late. "Father!" the ninja called. "Father, I need help."

The patriarch of the Dokuzo clan rushed into the room, pausing at the sight of his nephew. A grim expression graced his features. He reached down to check the younger man's pulse. "We need to get you to a hospital."

Desperately Shin grabbed the other's hand. "No!" He had to stop him.

"Why?" it was Akira who asked.

"Betrayal," the young man managed to speak around the blood he was coughing up. "The village needs something to offer Cloud for that incident a week ago. We are being blamed. They intend to sacrifice our entire clan," fear for his family shown on his face.

Shocked, the teen looked into eyes the same color as his own. "Impossible," he whispered. Akira had always known their family was not well liked, but this. . .

Tears ran down Shin's face as he continued. "My parents, my little sister, they are already dead." The young man choked before forcing himself to go on. "Couldn't save them," his voice was full of anguish. "Have to save you."

"It is alright," Akira's father tried to sooth him. "You made it; it will be alright." All three of them knew it was a lie.

"Run uncle," Shin used the last of his strength. "Take Akira and run." Green eyes grew unfocused as his vision faded. "Go," the shinobi's head lolled to one side and his eyes glazed over. He was gone.

The brunette was in shock. His cousin was dead, killed by the village they had sworn to protect. Akira was snapped out of his daze when his father dragged him to his feet.

"Let's go."

The pair did not even make it to the village walls before they were attacked. Akira was hindered by a hesitation to attack his former comrades. Everything had happened so fast. Ninja after ninja dropped, poison in their veins. They would be fine in a few hours. The teen's father had no such qualms about his opponents well being.

The last shinobi laughed as he looked up at his killer. His life was draining from his body as he spoke. "You're wasting your time Dokuzo," he sneered. "Another squad is already on the way. You'll never make it."

The older man bit his lip. The ninja was right he knew. There was only one option. "Akira."

"Yes," the teen looked up. Part of him was still hoping this was just a bad dream.

"Go, I will stall them."

Green eyes went wide. "But father," he protested.

"Akira," calloused fingers gripped his son's chin, forcing the boy to meet his eyes. "There is no other way. "Run Akira," his tone conveyed the depths of his emotion. "Live."

The brunette nodded once and went. He looked back to see his father standing in the middle of the street, the family daggers in his hands. Akira would never see him again. He ignored the burning in his eyes as he continued to run. There would be time to grieve later.

Several hours later a single hunter dropped into the teens path, baring his way. Akira had covered his trail well, the others had been unable to follow. The ninja removed his mask.

"Yue?" Akira asked in disbelief. He and the white-haired nin had been on the same genin team.

"Akira," he greeted the poison-user coolly. "You realize I have to kill you."

The teen flinched violently and took a step backwards. "We didn't do anything," he shouted. "Why are you doing this?"

"Orders," the answer was no answer at all.

At the end of the battle only one of the ninja was left alive. It wasn't Yue. Akira looked at the corpse of his former team-mate in disbelief. He had killed him. There was no going back, the teen knew. Even if he had wanted to.

Slowly the last member of the Dokuzo clan removed his headband. The symbol of Hidden Grass seemed so wrong. With a cry of fury Akira dragged his blade over the plate, leaving a deep gash. As the nukenin stumbled away, he finally allowed the tears to fall.

_Well that is that_

_I might write some other FtA scenes later_

_One reader did want to see what happened to Yoko Souji _


End file.
